Chain delays are the norm rather than the exception in the Devon property market, and they’re the single biggest reason we get asked about storage. A sale completes on a Tuesday, the onward purchase doesn’t complete until three weeks later, and suddenly a houseful of belongings has nowhere to go. If you’re weighing up storage in Devon as part of a move, here’s what we think you actually need to know — when it’s worth it, what it costs, and how it works.
When Storage in Devon Actually Makes Sense
Storage earns its keep in a handful of situations, and it’s worth being honest about which one applies to you before you commit to it.
Gaps between completion dates are the most common reason. If your sale and purchase don’t line up — which happens more often in Devon’s chain-heavy market than people expect — your belongings need somewhere secure to sit for days or weeks in between. This is the classic use case, and it’s the one we plan for most often.
Downsizing is another. Moving from a four-bedroom family house into a smaller property or a retirement flat rarely means everything fits on day one. Storage gives you room to make sensible decisions about what to keep, rather than making rushed calls on moving day itself.
Renovation projects come up regularly too — if you’re having floors done or a kitchen ripped out before you move back in, storing furniture keeps it clean and undamaged while the work happens.
Probate and house clearance situations often need short-term storage as well, particularly when a family needs time to sort through a relative’s belongings without the pressure of an empty property deadline hanging over every decision. If that’s your situation, our house clearances team can talk you through both the clearance and the storage side together.
What storage isn’t worth it for is holding onto things you were going to get rid of anyway. If a wardrobe has been sitting unused for three years, storing it for another six months rarely changes that outcome — it just adds a monthly cost to a decision you’ll make eventually regardless.
What Storage in Devon Typically Costs
Costs vary with volume and duration, but as a rough guide, short-term storage (under three months) in Devon starts from around £25 a week for a small unit, rising depending on how much space your belongings need. A one-bedroom flat’s worth of furniture and boxes might need a modest unit; a full four-bedroom house is a different scale entirely, and the quote should reflect that rather than being a flat rate regardless of volume.
Long-term storage — three months or more — usually works out cheaper per week than short-term, since providers offer discounted monthly rates for longer commitments. If you know from the outset that you’re looking at several months rather than a few weeks, it’s worth saying so upfront, because the pricing structure is genuinely different.
The other cost to factor in is collection and delivery. Some people assume they’ll hire a van, move things into a self storage unit themselves, then hire another van later to move them out again — which usually ends up costing more in time and hassle than it saves in money. A removal company that collects, stores, and delivers as one service tends to work out both cheaper and considerably less stressful, because your belongings are only handled once at each end rather than loaded and unloaded twice over.
Self Storage vs Removal Company Storage
This is one of the questions we get asked most, so it’s worth answering directly.
Self storage means you hire the unit directly from a storage provider, transport your own belongings there (usually with a van hire of your own), and manage access yourself. It can work if you’re only storing a few items and don’t mind the logistics.
Removal company storage means we collect from your property, transport everything to a secure partner facility, and deliver it back out when you’re ready — with insurance and professional handling throughout. For anything beyond a few boxes, this is almost always the simpler route, because it removes the two extra van hires and the physical effort of moving items in and out yourself.
Either way, check what’s actually covered. Our storage partners provide 24/7 CCTV monitoring and secure, dry, pest-controlled units, and we’d always recommend confirming insurance cover — either through the storage provider or your own home contents policy — before anything goes into store.
What’s Worth Storing (and What Isn’t)
Furniture, seasonal items like garden furniture and Christmas decorations, and anything sentimental or valuable are generally worth storing. Documents you’ll need for HMRC, your mortgage lender, or the local council are worth keeping with you rather than in a unit you might not access for weeks.
Bulky items that are cheap to replace — old flat-pack furniture, worn-out garden equipment — are often not worth the storage cost. It’s a judgement call, but a rough rule of thumb is: if replacing it new would cost less than three months of storage fees, it’s rarely worth keeping.
Storage for Students and Businesses
Storage isn’t only for house moves. University students across Devon regularly need somewhere for belongings over the summer break, and businesses need flexible space for stock, documents, or office furniture during a relocation. Our office relocations clients often combine a move with short-term storage while new premises are fitted out, and the same collection-and-delivery approach applies.
Booking Storage Around Your Devon Move
If you already know your sale and purchase dates don’t align, book storage at the same time you book your removal rather than waiting until the week itself. Summer completion dates get busy across Devon — from Newton Abbot out to Exeter and the South Hams — and availability tightens fastest in July and August. The earlier we know your dates and rough volume, the more accurately we can quote and the more likely we are to have a slot that matches your actual moving day.
Get a Storage Quote
We offer secure, flexible storage across Devon, whether you need a few weeks to bridge a chain or several months during a bigger transition. Call us on 07792 215 204 to talk through your dates and rough volume, see more on our storage page, or read about our full coverage across Devon removals. You can also get in touch online and we’ll come back to you with a quote.
Professional removal services across Devon. Helping families and businesses move with care since 2019.